ut getting any
answer, but a third tremendous tug brought Penelope down, rather
breathless and excited.

'Beg your pardon, sir, did you ring, sir?'

'I rang three times,' said Mr. Crayshaw severely, 'to ask whether the
young ladies think of supping this evening.'

'I am sure I humbly beg pardon, sir,' said Penelope, who was dreadfully
afraid of Mr. Crayshaw; 'the young ladies were just taken up with the
poor dear little gentleman, bless him.'

'Hum!' said Mr. Crayshaw, with a dry little cough; 'still as the fact
of the young gentleman being in the house does not prevent my wishing
for something to eat, I should be glad if you would bring supper in any
moment of time you can spare from his company.'

'Oh, I'm sure, sir, directly, sir,' stammered Penny, hurrying out of
the room, and the next minute her voice might have been heard in very
loud whispers to Angelica on the stairs, before she bustled down in
double quick time to the kitchen. A minute or two later Betty came in
with an air of much importance.

'Cousin Crayshaw, Angel and I beg your pardon for keeping you waiting
for supper,' she said; 'we were putting Godfrey to bed. He seemed so
strange, and so frightened, poor darling!'

'Humph!' coughed Mr. Crayshaw again, 'his behaviour has not given me
that impression so far. I warn both you and Angelica that if you
persist in making a martyr of an exceedingly spoilt and ill-disposed
child, my only alternative will be to send him at once to some strict
school where he will be properly dealt with.'

The colour rushed into Betty's cheeks and her lips opened for a hasty
reply, when Angel came quickly into the room with a tray in her hands.
Betty ran to help her while she made her gentle apology for being late.
Penny had been upstairs with them, but they would help her now, and
supper would be ready in a minute. She feared Cousin Crayshaw must be
very hungry and cold too, perhaps; she hoped he was not fatigued by the
journey from London. It was almost impossible to be angry with Angel,
and Mr. Crayshaw relented a little, and said no more about Godfrey;
indeed, remembering how Betty had laughed at his predicament, he was
perhaps not very anxious to talk about the arrival. It was a very
silent supper. Betty kept beginning to talk and pulling herself up,
and Angel devoted herself to attending to Mr. Crayshaw, trying to keep
him from missing Penelope, who usually waited on them, but who had
stolen upstairs as soo